Elegant and luxurious 40th birthday celebration

Ursula Forrest - Friday, May 12, 2017

Photo above: Gold drip cake by The Cake Box

This was one of the most wonderful 40th birthday celebrations to be part of. From the moment we met Ronelle and received the brief to style her sister's
surprise 40th celebration, we knew this was going to be an incredibly special event. Ronelle's sister, Chantal had no idea that her husband Reagan
had a destination birthday weekend planned and that he was flying her closest family members to Cape Town from Johannesburg to spend the weekend with
her.

Reagan booked Farm Lorraine in Franschoek, a lavish private residence for the whole family to stay together and this is the venue where Chantal's birthday celebrations began. Up until the time she arrived at the airport, Chantal
had no idea that she was flying to Cape Town or that her entire family would be joining her.

Above: The entrance to Farm Lorraine is majestic, romantic and beautiful.

On Saturday, Chantal was advised that the family were having an elegant dinner in the Manor House at Farm Lorraine in the evening and that the dress code
was smart. None of the details were shared with her. Our brief was to style the terrace for her surprise pre-dinner drinks and to style the private
dining room at Grande Provence for an elegant family-style dinner.

Chantal had absolutely no idea that it was a black tie dinner starting with champagne on the terrace and ending with a luxurious and stylish dinner at
Grande Provence.

Photo above: Farm Lorraine terrace styled for pre-dinner Champagne

Our brief for styling was simple, elegant, luxurious and chic. From the custom-made gold perspex birthday banner and crystal champagne saucers all details were carefully crafted to ensure a celebration that would be forever memorable.

Above photo: Chantal walking in to the Manor House

What we loved the most was the look on Chantal's face when she walked through the door and saw her family members all dressed in black tie and waiting
for her on the terrace!

After pre-dinner drinks, the family were chauffeured to Grande Provence Wine Estate for a 4 course meal in the exclusive Jonkerhuis dining room. The
Jonkerhuis private dining room is an ideal venue for grand birthday celebrations and intimate, small weddings.

We simply love the well-appointed and romantic setting at Grande Provence Wine Estate which has candle lit lanterns along its pathways and stunning light
features throughout the estate. Grand Provence is also home to an incredible art collection.

Photo above: Entrance to Jonkerhuis and the grounds at Grande Provence

For Chantal's 40th birthday styling we chose shades of grey, gold and black contrasted by rich and vibrant reds, pink and creams with splashes of green.
This unique colour palette, combined with the textures of the gold under plates complemented the unique and luxurious styling of the Jonkerhuis dining
room magnificently.

Every detail was sourced and brought in from external event hiring suppliers to ensure maximum impact and luxuriousness. From the black crystal water goblets and black crockery to the individually gold printed perspex place
cards with menus, every detail was taken care of.

We knew without a doubt that this was an auspicious occasion when Reagan welcomed his family and the speeches commenced. What overwhelmed me was the sense
of love and fun and how sincere and grateful this special family is. The love and respect they showed each other and my team was simply amazing to
be part of and witness.

Almost everyone had something touching and really poignant to say about Chantal and without a doubt we were proud to be chosen to conceptualize, plan and
implement this incredible woman's 40th birthday.

Photo directly above: The family seated in the lounge at Farm Lorraine.

The delicious 4 course fine dining menu prepared by Executive Chef, Darren Badenhorst was simply superb. Each course was artistically plated and tasted
as incredible as it looked!

Photo above: Intermediate and main course dishes

Guests were given the choice of two starters, two intermediate dishes, three main courses and two desserts! A veritable feast and together with the mouth-watering
food and delectable wines, Grande Provence ensured that the dinner was a marvelous affair.

The strikingly styled flowers by Coral Shortt from Epanouir Flower Studio brought the table to life with vibrant colours and the garden cut roses emitted a gentle floral scent that wafted through the air as everyone arrived.

The Grande Provence team were an absolute pleasure to work with and a very special thanks to Head Waiter Alex and Restaurant Manager, Daniel for looking
after our clients so well! The stylish and on trend gold drip birthday cake was baked by Lilia de Wet from The Cake Box and had guests walking in from Grande Provence to photograph it for themselves!

We loved every minute of planning this very special 40th birthday celebration and look forward to many more wonderful events at Grande Provence Wine Estate.